‘So, he has a girl.’ I state shifting to take a seat next to where Vish is sprawled out.
The concrete flooring is hard underneath me, but that has never bothered me before. Simple comforts don’t call to me the way they used to, not since I felt the way I did with my emerald-eyed beauty.
‘I’m not sure where she came from, don’t think she’s been around here for long or even around him for long but she’s definitely his girl alright.’ Vish explains, his lean body resting against the plain wall at his back. ‘Never seen him this protective over someone. The psycho nearly killed me for just looking at her.’
I blow out a breath, surprised at our friend's actions. ‘He must have it bad.’ Ru has never been violent for no good reason with any of us. And any time he has been violent, it was never in a rash decision that would be regretted later on. I look at Vish, ‘What did you do?’
‘Wha?’ He asks, mouth wide.
‘C’mon, you must of donesomethingfor Ru to react.’ Knowing Vish and his wind-up behaviour he probably deserved whatever Ru gave him. But judging by his unscathed appearance, that wasn’t much.
His signature cheeky grin turns into a grimace as he remembers something, probably his earlier actions towards Ru and his girl. ‘I walked in on them…’ he pauses, clearing his throat, ‘erm in a…’
‘In a what?’
‘Situation.’ his eyes bulge as he points a finger towards the ceiling, right where I heard the noise from when I first walked in.
He sees the moment I realise what he’s referring to, giving another sheepish grimace. ‘And I may have made a joke.’
I groan, rubbing my palm across my face. Every bad-tasting, inappropriate joke that Vish has made comes to mind, and I don’t need him to tell me why Ru will have wanted to kill him if this is what his first impression to her was.
‘Lad, I should be organising your funeral.’
If he’d made a joke about my girl I would have seen red as well. I’m not surprised Ru managed to hold back since he has that extra level of control over himself that I lack.
‘He looked like a bull ready to charge me. Absolutely psychotic for a second, which — I don’t blame the guy — Fauna looked so vulnerable, so bloody terrified, I felt awful man, still do.’
The regret is clear in his usually cocky face, so I don’t push him on it, deciding to find more out about this mysterious girl Ru has kept from us. My interest fully piqued knowing he has found something that I’ve spent the past few months scouring every building to find. But he doesn’t have much information.
‘After she woke up they went upstairs. She didn’t seem too happy when I told her you were coming so maybe it’s best to stay down here,’ Vish admits. Not looking sorry in the slightest for his admission. ‘I might have jumped ahead and invited you without asking them.’
‘You just wanted to pass the awkwardness onto someone else didn’t ya.’
Vish doesn’t answer and I don’t need him to, knowing it’s without a doubt what he did the big baby.
‘Just give them their space, alright, and Ru might not kill me,’ he shuffles down the wall and makes a pillow out of his pack.
Neither of us make a move for the sleeping area we have in the back, silently choosing to stay out in the open where we can both keep an eye out for any danger.
Lying down on my back, not bothering with a make shift pillow I lean back, head resting on the hard flooring. With any luck, the discomfort of my sleeping position will distract my wandering thoughts from my emerald-eyed beauty.
Time creeps by in a painfully slow pace. The only company being the snores of the sleeping Vish beside me and the electrical wiring above our heads. At some point I decided to stop fighting with myself to get some rest and found entertainment in following the unfinished wires scattered across the open ceiling.
On number, whatever I’m now on, of the wiring run through race, this time following red a crash rings out from the floor above which has me jolting up and onto my feet quicker than I can blink.
Despite my larger frame I push myself to run as fast as I can out of the door and up the metal staircase, taking each step two at a time. Rounding through the door to the floor Vish said Ru and his girl are on. I search the room in a panicked frenzy, desperately looking around to find what the danger is.
Vish’s panted breaths beside me tell me that he acted almost as quickly as I did despite his snoring slumber.
I set my eyes on Ru, his defined muscles bulging as he rages — appearing to have a complete meltdown. One that would look a thousand times scarier if he wasn’t my best mate, and butt ass naked.
Cautious Vish steps towards the raging bull he was on about earlier, trying to understand what's going on.
Ru is in a state, his eyes wild. He looks like a frantic beast. A frantic beast that is now charging towards Vish, spitting words of fury in his wake.
I have no choice but to intercept him. I grab him and use his weight as leverage to slam him down to the floor. He’s not in his right mind, he’s completely out of it.
‘Calm the fuck down, Ru.’ I shout into his furious face, demanding that he takes a minute.
